As the world gets smaller, your world gets bigger: global trade is a big world. I’ll meet you there!
Ruth Girmscheid, President
International Customs Services, Inc.
Global trade is complex.
You are not alone. Large or small,
experienced or new to trade,
all companies encounter
similar challenges and
need solutions.
International Customs Services, Inc.
ICSCompliance© is our core:
a full-service system featuring:
•
Automated Supplier Solicitation
•
Origin and Classification
•
Data Management
•
All-ERP compatible
•
FTA/COO/USMCA
Efficient, value-driven solutions
for the routine demands
and unique challenges
of trade compliance.
Put ICSCompliance to the test!
Experienced, specialized, value
driven:
•
Give us your toughest issue,
most complicated task.
•
Discover why we are the
most effective service
provider in the field of trade
compliance.
•
Solicitation/Data
Management
•
Duty Drawback
•
Landed Costs
Services for:
•
importers/exporters in NA
and global locations. , large
or small.
•
Denied Party Screening
•
Foreign-based companies
entering the NA market.
•
HTS Classification
•
FTAs/COO/USMCA
•
Valuation
•
EAR/ECCN
•
Documentation
Working partnership:
•
We perform the work you
need done,
•
develop best practices for
your needs,
•
guide you through
implementation to a
•
Trade Compliance
Management program,
•
and provide ongoing
services and support.
About Us
We are a specialized trade compliance services firm providing
solutions for the challenges importers and exporters face every day
in compliance procedures, tasks, and data management.
International Customs Services, Inc. (ICS) is right-sized for both large
and small manufacturers*. Staff are highly trained and experienced.
Credentials are updated regularly through specific training and
ongoing professional development in global trade compliance.
SOLICITATION Issue/Solution The biggest headache for companies
in global trade is requesting Origin and FTA and other certifications
from their suppliers. One client was spending months with a
manual process that was very frustrating and resulted in marginal
replies. Unfortunately, this is the case for most companies—
suppliers are slow to respond and often provide inaccurate
information. Fortunately, we have a remedy!
With minimal set-up time, the ICSCompliance© Supplier Solicitation is
a rapid, automated process providing your suppliers with a list of
uncertified products. We then work with them to verify Origin and HTS,
acquire signed documents, and other information that must be verified
for accuracy and is critical in global trade. Certifications are recorded
and stored year over year; clients have historical access to their data.
AUDIT Issue/Solution A client was audited by the Mexican Hacienda
(Customs Agency). Over a two-year period, ICS provided analysis to
the authorities that supported the client’s USMCA claims. The
project successfully resolved in the client’s favor, avoiding several
million dollars of potential duties, fines, and penalties. Backstory:
Sources say that 98 per cent of claims during a Mexican audit fail.
However, ICS was told by Hacienda that it was our qualification
process which enabled the client to support their USMCA claims.
ICS is recognized industry-wide for expertise in global trade regulatory
procedures, exceptional knowledge of U.S. Customs and Export
Administration Regulations, superior accuracy applying the Harmonized
Tariff Schedules and ECCNs, and superior capabilities in Country of
Origin FTA determination.
ACE Issue/Solution One of our clients was paying excessive USA
import duties on shipments from a related company located in a
USMCA country. They were not declaring USMCA on their imports,
prompting them to ask us to do a study of their import records.
ICS’s knowledge of ACE as a powerful tool allows us to focus on entries
and products with the highest rates of duty. Because we store and
classify clients’ purchased and manufactured goods in ICSCompliance©,
we are able to identify which items to target for analysis or FTA
solicitation. This process can result in significant annual savings.
VALUATION Issue/Solution Valuation on a Canadian shipment was
incorrect. We worked through the Disclosure process with the client
and Customs to correct the issue; we mitigated pending fines. Our
work prevented a potential dispute with Customs which could have
slowed the shipment, risking the relationship with their customer.
ICS structures compliance documentation and appropriate work-flow
practices to support the import and export of goods. We subscribe to
key global trade information resources that assure accurate and timely
knowledge of worldwide duties, taxes, and customs procedures.
CLASSIFICATION/FTA Issue/Solution A client was not claiming
USMCA— ICS reviewed and corrected errors in the client’s parts
classifications using U.S. Customs rulings, engineering drawings,
BOMs and technical data sheets. The project provided USMCA
eligibility to an entire product line on previously undeclared goods,
saving their customer from higher import duties. FTAs provide
significant duty savings and make exporters more competitive.
Our core: ICSCompliance©, is a proprietary software system
developed by ICS based on many years of experience providing trade
compliance solutions. It can be customized to your needs. Built for
secure, smooth data management, it interfaces with any ERP system. In
its third generation, the system undergoes ongoing development and
updating in response to client feedback and compliance best practices.
We invest in top-level IT security systems and regular software and
hardware updates to assure the security of your data. We use U.S.-
based Cloud storage for security and easy access for ICS and our clients.
Issues/Solutions are drawn from real client cases. Details and
identity are confidential. To explore solutions to any of your
potential trade compliance issues, please contact ICS at
info@icsbroker.com
*A recipient of the Johnson Controls Building Efficiency Customer
Satisfaction Leadership Award, ICS is recognized as a provider of
world class professional services. ICS and its staff are members of
leading national and state professional associations..
The world may be round, but when things go flat, we’ll help you off the edge.
Ruth Girmscheid, President
*REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Our client relationships
are confidential. References are available for serious inquiries.
WTA
JCI Building Efficiency Customer
Satisfaction Leadership Award
ICS has been an invaluable resource in performing our HTS classifications and FTA qualification/solicitation processes.
Their staff are quick to respond to requests and have integrated very well with our trade compliance team as well as our
procurement and engineering functions.
I have been impressed with their breadth of knowledge on complex Trade Compliance topics and their support has been
extremely helpful in improving our overall compliance posture and significantly expanding our FTA savings.
They also were able to effectively interface with and utilize our ERP systems.
I view ICS as an extension of our trade compliance team and we have a great ongoing working relationship.
Mark S., Senior Import/Export Project Lead, consumer goods manufacturer.
.